Methods and apparatuses of this kind serve to fold together an inflatable airbag to a size which permits the folded airbag to be mounted in a vehicle as a part of an airbag module for example as a driver's, a passenger's or a side airbag. It is known that the airbag should be folded in such a manner that it can unfold as quickly as possible in the event of a collision.
In the prior art, numerous machines have been provided for folding such air bags in fan style folds using paddles to create the folds of the airbag.